Machine for jointing table-tops



UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. I. HATFIELD, or DAYTON, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR JOINTING TABLE-TOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,338, dated December 20, 1853.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, 'W. I. HATFIELD, of Dayton, in the county'of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Jointing and Hinging Leaf-Tables, of which the follow-v ing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which lform 'part of this speciiication, and in which Figure l represents a view in perspective` of my improved lmachine for jointlng and.`

hinging tables; and Fig. 2 a similar view of the sliding frame used in cuttingthe 'recesses fo-r the hinges, detached; Fig. 3 represents views in perspective of the rotary jointing;` cutters, detached; Fig. 4, a view in perspective of the rotary hanging cutters, detached; and Fig. 5 a view in perspective of the underside of a table top and leaf in part in,i illustration of the nature of the Work to 'be done.

In the construction of those tables which,

have flat or hinged leaves that may be raised to form an extension of the top of the table, or lowered to contract the same, as

convenience suggests, muchlabor and dificulty has been involved, in jointing and hinging tables; that is in cuttingthe recesses for the hinges and so shaping the edges of the top and leaves, that when the latter are raised they form a smooth continuation of the top of the table, and when lowered do not leave a gap or opening at the joint. 4In: thus jointing and hinging tables by hand, it has heretofore been `a slow and diiiicultl operation and involved the necessity of em` ploying the most skilful workmen, owing to the great accuracy required in the work` The liability of the hand plane: to deviate from. its proper line ofl travel andv manship.

to cut at irregular depths into the wood, and

the frequent reversion in the mot-ion of the plane requisite to adapt the cut to the varied directions of the grain of the wood, all tend to render ythe joint irregular. A like difficulty has also existed in forming the recesses for the hinges, which should be lof equal depth and at the same distances apart in the leaves and topof the table, so that the leaves when hung and extended lie flush with the top, yboth las regards its upper sur-V face and the side edges thereof. The skill requisite and' time consumed, in thus jointing and hinging tables constitute a large item in the cost of making, and it seldoml happens, even whenmuch care has been bestowed uponthese operations, that the workmanship is as perfect as is desirable it should be, and it has long been a desideraturn to joint and hinge tables automatically in suchmanner that accuracy will be insured, the specified operations expedited and the usual skilled labor dispensed with;

to accomplish this desideratum isthe objectk designed to be driven by pulleys (E) on f theiraxes by bands in such manner -that the motion may readily be reversed; they are hung .so that they may be driven back lat pleasure `wit-hin the front of the guide strip (B) to form the cut, as one cutter (C or D) i' One only yis designed to operate at a time.

cutter (c) is employed for dressing or jointf ing t-he 'edges ofthe top of the table and the cutters (c and c) therein are made ofinverse cavetto and'straight edged configurat-ion at their extremities for the purpose of cutting the` required molding along the edges of the top; thesecutters (o and c) are litted in the cutterhead on' either side of the axis parallel, or thereabout, to one another, and are of similar configuration at their several ends' which project beyond the periphery of the cutter head, through slots in which the cutters are so fitted, that they may be moved endwise for the purpose of setting two of the opposite cutting extremities of the two cutters more distant from the center of the cutter head t-han the other two cutting edges, so that the cutters which lie face to face may be arranged rto cut in pairs, that isat the vone end', only of either cutter according to the set of vthe cutters in reverse directions through the cutter head, t-he direct-ion of `which set is regulated to suitfthe direction ,j

in which the cutterhead rotates and the direction' in which the board being dressed isfed.

The cutters '(c and c) when properly ad-` Y justed may be fixed by clamp screwsfm).Y

By this arrangement of the cutters both edges of the top may be dressed with the grain of the wood so as to give a clean cut or finish to the joint, and whenever' it becomes necessary the cutters may be reversed to cut in different directions to dress wood of reverse grain by suitably setting the cutters as described. One side or edge of the top is fed over tlie bed (A) and thenV reversing the set and motion of the cutters when returning the top over the bed in the opposite direction for the purpose of dressing its oppo-sitevedge, the cut of which will by this arrangement be with the grain of the wood. The top being thus jointed the cutter head (C) is thrown back and the other cutter head (D) brought forward so as to cause its cutters (cl and'd) to protrude through the guide strip for the purpose of jointing the edges of the leaves which are fed over the bed (A) in a similar manner to that described for jointing the edges of the top; these cutters (d and d) are double and capable of being reversed similarly to the cutters (c and c) of the othercutter head, in order that they may cut with the grain of the wood; the configuration of the cutting extremities-of these cutters (d) differs from that of the other cutters in being convex where they are curved in order to cut on the edge of the leaf to formv the counterpart of the edge of the top to fit and joint against the latter as represented in Fig. `5; otherwise these cutters (d and el) do not differ in their construction, arrangement and operation from the other cutters already described. If desirable duplicate cutter heads 'may be arranged at the extremities of `a lever pivoted in the middle for reversing expeditiously the direction of the cut, the

one cutter head having its cutters set to cut in an opposite direction to the cutters of the other head, so that by throwing one cutter head into action and the other out, t-lie cut may be changedl to suit the direction of the grain of the wood. The leaves and top of.

the table being thus jointed it is afterward necessary to form the recesses or seats for the hinges o-n their unde-r face; this is effected by rotary cutter heads (F and G) mounted on a shaft (J), the cutters and g) of which travel thro-ugh openings in the bedy (A) that is attached to the frame of the machine in such a manner that it may be raised or lowered as required s'o that upon elevating the bed,`the hinging cutters (f -and g)y will be below the upper surface of the bed, and consequently offer no obstruction to the top or leaves, when sliding on` and along the bed for the purpose offbeing jointed, but by lowering the` bed when re-1 quired to hinge the top and leaves, it Acauses the hinging cut-ters (f and g) to project above the upper surface of the bed, in order that they may cut to the proper depth.

The devices for raising and lowering the bedl may consist of an under frame having wedge shaped projections which according as they are moved in one directioi'i, or the other-bymeans of a screw (I) raise and lower the bed as required.

The cutters (f and g), of which there may be any desired number projecting from the periphery of the cutter heads are of peculiar construction, so as to cut, when rotating, in either direction, the motion ofthe shaft- (J) upon which the cutter heads are mounted being made reversible, in any suit able manner. The form of these cutters is that of a wedge, beveled on both sides to a sharp cutting outer edge, with two spurs, one on each side, which cut somewhat deeper into the wood than the face ed e or body of the cutter, thus insuring a cean` finish to the sides of the hinge recess.` The top or leaf to be hinged is fed up to these rotary cutters on a sliding frame (K) which ts on transverse ways (N) across either end of the bed; this frame has stops (L and M) arranged in pairs on either side, these stops Vare hinged so as to shut down into the frame.

In hinging a leaf, the bed (A) is lowered until the cutters (f and g) project sufliciently `above the surface to cut the required depth made to move in an opposite direction toI that in which the leaf is fed. As the cut ters thus operating cut from the edge of the leaf backward the required length of the hinge recess, there will be no tendency; to rag or tear the joint at the mouth of the recess.` In cutting the hinge seats in the top of a table, the operationvis the same as that already described for cutting the recesses in the leaves, but as the top requires to be hinged on both sides of its lower face, it is placed upon the sliding frame (K) between the stops (L or M) and made rst to bear against the outer pair of stops, while the frame is pushed toward the guide strip to produce a similar action of the cutters to that described in forming the recesses in the leaves; the one side of the top being thus hinged, vthe opposite parallel edge or side is afterward hinged in a similar manner by reversing the action of the cutters and feeding the said opposite edge against the cutters in a reverse direction to that previously specified, the yinner pair of` wings, or stops being raised for the edge of the stop to bear against. Any suitable contrivance I in the Way of a gage may be adopted for regulating' the stroke of the sliding carrying frame to the length of hinge recess required. One of the cutter heads (F) should be fitted on,its shaft in such manner that it may be adjusted nearer or farther from the other head to adapt it to hinging tables of different sizes.

From this description it Will be apparent that great accuracy is insured both in jointing and hinging, and another great advantage is, that little or no skill is required in the performance of the. Work, and the several operations are perfected so much more eX- peditiously.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y The method herein described of jointing and hinging tables by means of rotary cutters arranged and operating substantially as specified7 whereby time and labor are eeonomized and greater accuracy is insured i as set forth. Y

In testimony whereof7 I have hereunt W. I. IMTFIELD.

Witnesses:

P. H. WATSON, PETER HANNAY. 

